Diagnostic application programs, also called “diagnostics,” provide functionality for testing components in a computer system. Typical diagnostics include a console application program that allows a user to control the operation of the diagnostics and one or more diagnostics modules that perform the actual diagnostic tests. Diagnostics modules are available that can test virtually all of the components in a computer system. For instance, diagnostic modules exist for testing the operation of central processing units, main memory, mass storage devices, video cards, input/output devices, network devices, and other components of a computer system.
In the past, console applications from one manufacturer were incompatible with diagnostics modules provided by another manufacturer. Over time, however, standard management platforms evolved that allow, among other things, diagnostic modules and console applications provided by different manufacturers to be used interchangeably. For instance, the Common Diagnostic Model (“CDM”) defines standard enabling building blocks that allow “plug-in” diagnostics modules to be integrated with console application programs, also called management applications. This allows management applications to control and execute diagnostics modules meant for different devices, and provided by different manufacturers, over a single, uniform, and consistent interface. The CDM architecture is scalable and applicable to many platforms.
Although standard management, or instrumentation, platforms, such as those implementing CDM, allow greater interoperability between diagnostics modules and management applications, these platforms also have their limitations. In particular, one limitation is caused by the fact that standard management platforms do not allow the use of device-specific diagnostic settings. For instance, under the standard implementation of CDM, a specific block size cannot be supplied for a hard disk drive to be tested. Therefore, the hard disk drive diagnostic test cannot be customized based upon the block size utilized by the hard disk to be tested. Without utilizing device-specific diagnostic settings, standard management platforms cannot test each device completely. Therefore, in light of the above, there is a need for a method, system, and apparatus that allows device-specific diagnostic settings to be utilized by diagnostics operating within an industry standard management platform.